Replies To: programming and age!

Re: programming and age!

Posted 15 October 2010 - 03:37 AM

Well I guess it might if you weren't old enough to have learned how to write yet.

Come on, experience matters (as you only get better with practice), but age? No. Of course, the younger you are, normally the less chance you've had for experience, and vice-versa. This is not always true, however.

Re: programming and age!

Posted 15 October 2010 - 11:15 AM

I disagree to an extend. Will someone keep the same eyesight, concentration and working memory capacity as they age? I don't think so. However, this could be more then offset by learning more efficient and maintainable ways to do things though experience. Therefore I think it is important for someone to be continually trying to raise their level of programming so as they get older so they will improve with experience rather then decline.

Re: programming and age!

you can learn to program at any age, the younger you are the better chance you have of picking it up, just like foreign languages are easier to learn when you are younger.

There are people in my programming lectures a multiple ages between 18 and 50 something. So if you want to do it and have the cognitive capacity to do it, age is not a factor.

However you may need to get your spelling sorted before trying to learn to program as syntax is a quite important thing to stick to and that involves remembering and spelling things correctly. I can't imagine remembering method calls etc will be easy when you can't remember how to spell writing.

Re: programming and age!

Posted 15 October 2010 - 11:54 AM

With age comes discipline, which makes it heckuva lot easier figuring out specifications or trudging through a 1200 page book on Windows MFC programming. The youngsters, though, certainly have more stamina than us fogies and find it easier to program 16, 17 hours straight. I don't have that in me anymore, or, at least, couldn't maintain that everyday.

Re: programming and age!

Posted 15 October 2010 - 12:29 PM

I have to say, age is not a factor. I'm only 16, but I do have quite a bit of experience. Certainly, I don't know a lot, as there is a ton that I don't know, but I think the important thing is that you pursue the continuing education that comes with being a programmer. The experience that you gain is worth more than simply being older.

Re: programming and age!

Posted 15 October 2010 - 01:36 PM

bonyjoe, on 15 October 2010 - 10:42 AM, said:

However you may need to get your spelling sorted before trying to learn to program as syntax is a quite important thing to stick to and that involves remembering and spelling things correctly. I can't imagine remembering method calls etc will be easy when you can't remember how to spell writing.

A good IDE can tell us how to spell all our methods and even spell-check our comments. Understanding concepts are much more important. When all else fails good documentation helps.

Re: programming and age!

Posted 18 October 2010 - 04:17 AM

masijade, on 15 October 2010 - 02:37 AM, said:

Well I guess it might if you weren't old enough to have learned how to write yet.

Come on, experience matters (as you only get better with practice), but age? No. Of course, the younger you are, normally the less chance you've had for experience, and vice-versa. This is not always true, however.

I really thank you for taking time to answer to the programming and age topic,... next year i`ll be having to do computer science at university and i will appreciate any comment comming up from you
Thank you again

bonyjoe, on 15 October 2010 - 10:42 AM, said:

you can learn to program at any age, the younger you are the better chance you have of picking it up, just like foreign languages are easier to learn when you are younger.

There are people in my programming lectures a multiple ages between 18 and 50 something. So if you want to do it and have the cognitive capacity to do it, age is not a factor.

However you may need to get your spelling sorted before trying to learn to program as syntax is a quite important thing to stick to and that involves remembering and spelling things correctly. I can't imagine remembering method calls etc will be easy when you can't remember how to spell writing.

I really thank you for taking time to answer to the programming and age topic,... next year i`ll be having to do computer science at university and i will appreciate any comment comming up from you
Thank you again

Re: programming and age!

Posted 19 November 2010 - 12:23 PM

I personally think that it depends on what your goals are. For instance, if you want to pick up programming as a new profession, then age is only a small factor based on what you are trying to do. However, if you just look at something like, "how good of a programmer will I be if I am such-and-such an age", then no, it does not matter. Like a couple of the posts above me mentioned, it is likely easier to pick up at a younger age. However, when looking for jobs it is likely harder because the younger you are, people assume less experience.